Bujumbura: The number of children reporting sexual assault after fleeing into Burundi to escape violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has more than tripled this year with aid cuts dramatically reducing the support available, said Save the Children. Between January and June this year, Save the Children staff in Burundi recorded over 478 cases of gender-based violence (GBV) including over 172 against children, most of them rape cases, which was a 249% increase from a year ago.
According to Save the Children, more than one million people have been displaced by violence in DRC this year as the conflict dramatically escalated, including over 41,000 who have fled to Burundi. Save the Children staff in Burundi said children who have faced sexual violence are in dire need of psychological support to overcome the trauma and are at risk of low self-esteem, self-blame, isolation, stigmatization, and discrimination without help.
Rita, a 16-year-old girl living in a refugee camp in eastern Burundi, shared her harrowing experience with Save the Children: Before arriving in Burundi, my mother, my siblings and I spent several days hiding in the mountains near our village. Some days we would return home from the bushes when the sound of gunfire went down but go back to the forest in the evening. One evening we decided to stay in the house and that’s when it happened. Armed men entered our house and raped me, my sister, and my mother. We then decided to flee the next day. It is very hard to look my mother in the eye after what happened but also very difficult for our mother to talk to us about it.
Nadege Nizigama, Save the Children’s Child Protection and GBV case worker for Burundi, said she speaks to children who have faced various forms of abuse including rape and forced marriages. At the moment, she has two girls and one boy undergoing psychosocial support after experiencing rape while fleeing the conflict earlier this year. She stressed that no child should be subjected to such violence and emphasized the need for more support to help these children overcome their trauma.
Geoffrey Kirenga, Save the Children’s Head of Mission in Burundi, stated that conflict-related sexual violence has long been used as a tool of war to intimidate and terrorize civilians. The impact on children is devastating, and his team witnesses this daily. Tragically, the number of cases registered represents just a fraction of the reality, as children and community members often do not report severe violations due to fear of victimization.
The impact of aid cuts is significant, given the vulnerability of the beneficiaries. Many families have experienced psychological trauma due to conflict and were forced to leave their homes with nothing. The funding gaps now faced could lead to the closure of programs that are vital lifelines for children and families in dire need. Save the Children is urging the international community not to abandon these children at a time when they need help the most.
Save the Children has been operating in Burundi since 2016, providing services in child protection, prevention and response to gender-based violence, health, child rights governance, and education. The organization has a team in Burundi assisting thousands of displaced children and their families.